Date
1/14/2020 4:22:25 AM

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(MENAFN – NewsIn.Asia) By P.K.Balachandran/Daily Mirror

The United States’ 40-year sanctions-based economic war against the radical Islamic regime in Iran may end in the not too distant future, if the regime gives in to the growing domestic demand for an end to a dictatorship masquerading as a democracy.

Events in the past two or three months appear to justify the US claim that US and international sanctions have crippled the Iranian economy, and that more of these will definitely bring the Islamic authoritarian regime to its knees.

Following the pathetic admission of the Iranian government that its forces had mistakenly shot down a Ukrainian passenger airliner over Iran killing all the 176 persons on board, hundreds of Iranians began to protest against their regime in Tehran on Saturday.

This would have come as a shock to Supreme Leader Ali Hoseini-Khamenei and the Head of the government, President Hasan Fereidun Ruhani for only the other day, thousands of Iranians had hit the streets to mourn the death of the Revolutionary Guards leader and a pillar of the Khamenei government, Gen. Qasem Soleimani.

Videos posted on social media showed demonstrators outside Tehran’s Amirkabir University chanting slogans urging Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei to resign. The slogans included: ‘Death to the dictator,’ ‘Shame on you Khamenei, Leave the country,’ ‘Death to the liars,’ and ‘Shame on the Revolutionary Guards,’ One protester said: ‘They are lying that our enemy is America, our enemy is right here.’ There were similar protests in other universities in Iran.

Even as the people mourned a war hero’s death they had serious complaints against Ayotollah Khamenei’s regime which had become dictatorial and policies of which had led to crippling US and UN-backed sanctions. Iran’s impoverished common man had put up with over 40 years of sanctions but had reached the end of his tether.

November-December Agitation

There was a fore warning of this in November-December 2019. At that time Iran experienced its deadliest political unrest since the Islamic Revolution of 1979, which overthrew a US-backed monarchy. At least 631 people were killed in November-December 2019 as angry protesters faced unbridled government aggression. At least 2,000 were wounded and 7,000 arrested.

The immediate cause of the protest at that time was an abrupt increase of at least 50% in petrol prices. Within 72 hours, outraged demonstrators, in cities large and small, were demanding an end to the Islamic government. The protesters were mostly unemployed or low-income young men between the ages of 19 and 26.